Extendable smocking tube

ABSTRACT

An extendable smocking tube having a first elongated tubular body, a second elongated tubular body and a stopper. The second elongated tubular body is inserted into the first elongated tubular body such that the second elongated tubular body is coaxial and movable with respect to the first elongated tubular body between a closed position and an extended position. Density of the second elongated tubular body is greater than density of the first elongated tubular body. The stopper is positioned at the first end of the second elongated tubular body. The lengths of the first and second elongated tubular bodies are selected such that a protrusion is formed at the second end of the second elongated tubular body with respect to the second end of the first elongated tubular body when the second elongated tubular body is in the closed position.

BACKGROUND

This application and its disclosure generally relate to the field of smocking tubes utilized for smocking “roll your own” tobacco.

Due to a high tax on cigarettes many people switch to what is commonly called “roll your own” (“RYO”) tobacco. Rolling your own cigarettes is a cost effective way of fulfilling one's smoking needs. To utilize RYO tobacco, a typical user would use cigarette tubes and a roller. Tubes are simply cigarettes without the tobacco. A conventional cigarette tube 30 is shown in FIG. 4. It includes a case 31, filter 32 and is open at one end “B” and fully closed at another end “A”. A rolling machine (commonly referred to as “cigarette roller”) is necessary to fill the tube. Cigarette roller is a device used to pack cigarette tubes full of tobacco. An example of a cigarette roller is disclosed in International Patent Application WO2007/082939. This device includes portioning means for portioning a tobacco block into required portions, transport means transporting the forward end of the tobacco block into a shaping chamber, separating means detaching the required tobacco portion from the block in the shaping chamber, and filling means filling the empty cigarette tube with the detached tobacco. A simpler device for packing tobacco into a cigarette tube is a “tamper,” which is a little piece of plastic used to press the tobacco down into the empty interior of the cigarette tube.

Because the portion of the cigarette tube designated for the tobacco is fixed in its dimensions, the most difficult part of filling a cigarette tube is the determination of how much tobacco to apportion to each tube. If one packs the tobacco down and there is still a lot of overflow, they've packed too much. If there is still a lot of space in the slot, they've packed too little. Additionally, the fixed dimension of conventional cigarette tubes, does not allow a smoker to vary the amount of tobacco they utilize. For example, a person trying to quit smoking may try to cut down on the amount of tobacco. However, with a conventional tube design, a smaller amount of tobacco will be very loosely packed in the tube decreasing the usability of the product.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect, the present invention is an extendable smocking tube having a first elongated tubular body, a second elongated tubular body and a stopper. The first elongated tubular body includes a hollow interior, a first length, a first density, a first end and a second end. The second elongated tubular body is inserted into the first elongated tubular body such that the second elongated tubular body is coaxial and movable with respect to the first elongated tubular body between a closed position and an extended position. The second elongated tubular body has a second length and a second density, the second density of the second elongated tubular body being greater than the first density of the first elongated tubular body. The second elongated tubular body also includes a first end and a second end. The stopper is positioned at the first end of the second elongated tubular body. The lengths of the first and second elongated tubular bodies are selected such that a protrusion is formed at the second end of the second elongated tubular body with respect to the second end of the first elongated tubular body when the second elongated tubular body is in the closed position.

In another general aspect, the present invention is a method of using the extendable smocking tube. The method includes moving the first elongated tubular body with respect to the second elongated tubular body so as to extend a free end of the first elongated tubular body to a desired length, then packing a smoking product into a hollow interior of the first elongated tubular body so as to fill the desired length of the first elongated tubular body with the smoking product, then tapping the free end of the first elongated tubular body so as to pack the smoking product inside the first elongated tubular body; and finally, smoking the extendable smocking tube with the packed smoking product.

The above aspects, advantages and features are of representative embodiments only. It should be understood that they are not to be considered limitations on the invention as defined by the claims. Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following description, from the drawings, and from, the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation and the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references denote like or corresponding parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the extendable smoking tube in its closed position.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the extendable smoking tube in its extended position.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the method of using the extendable smoking tube.

FIG. 4 is a view of a conventional cigarette tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIG. 1, an extendable smocking tube 10 has a first elongated tubular body 2 and a second elongated tubular body 1. First elongated tubular body 2 has a hollow interior 5, a first end 6 and a second end 7. Second elongated tubular body 2 is inserted into the first elongated tubular body such that both tubular bodies are coaxial and movable with respect to one another. The length of the first elongated tubular body 2 is preferably greater than the length of the second elongated tubular body 1. Similarly to the first elongated tubular body, second elongated tubular body 1 has a first end 8 and a second end 9. A stopper 3 is positioned at the first end of second elongated tubular body 1.

The two tubular bodies are movable with respect to each other between a closed position (shown in FIG. 1) and an extended position (shown in FIG. 2). In the closed position, second end 9 of second elongated tubular body 1 extends beyond the second end 7 of the first elongated tubular body 2 so as to form a protrusion 4 having a length 14. Length 14 is preferably selected to be in the range of 1 mm-10 mm, and, most preferably, to be in the range of 2 mm-5 mm. In the extended position, the elongated tubular bodies are moved with respect to each other so as to extend protrusion 4 to a length 15, which is greater than the length 14, and to correspondingly extend an available volume of the hollow interior 5 of the elongated tubular body 2. Thus, the greater the length 15 of the extension of the second elongated body 1, the greater the available volume of the hollow interior 5 of the first elongated tubular body 2. This available volume can be filled with the desired smoking product, e.g., RYO tobacco.

For smoking convenience, density of the second elongated tubular body 1 is greater than density of the first elongated tubular body 2. For example, the first elongated tubular body 2 can be made of soft cigarette paper, and the second elongated tubular body 1 can be made of a cardboard material. The soft material of the first elongated tubular body 2 is preferably pure, slow and evenly-burning, and does not include any artificial colors or additives.

When hollow interior 5 of the first elongated tubular body 2 is filled with the smoking product, stopper 3 prevents the smoking product from entering the interior of the second elongated tubular body 1. Stopper 3 may be formed as a one-piece filter, e.g., a mesh filter. Alternatively, a separate filter (not shown) of any conventional design may be inserted into the interior of the second elongated tubular body and positioned adjacent to the stopper.

As schematically illustrated in FIG. 3, to use the extendable smocking tube, having the first elongated tubular body 2 and the second elongated tubular body 1 inserted into and movable relative to the first elongated tubular body 2, a user will first use the protrusion 4 to move the first elongated tubular body 2 with respect to the second elongated tubular body 1 so as to extend a free end of the first elongated tubular body, i.e., its first end 6, to a desired length (Step 101). The user can use his/her nails or teeth to do perform this step. The user will then pack a desired amount of smoking product into the hollow interior 5 of the first elongated tubular body so as to fill the desired length of the first elongated tubular body with the smoking product (Step 102). Because the user can vary the length of extension and, correspondingly the available length and volume of the hollow interior of the first elongated tubular body, no pre-measurement of the smoking product is required. The user simply adjusts the length of the extension to precisely accommodate the desired amount of the smoking product. Further, the hollow interior 5 can be filled up by pouring the smoking product into the first elongated tubular body 2, or by sucking the smoking product in. Because, stopper 3 prevents any tobacco particles from passing through, no amount of the smoking product ends up in the user's mouth during this process.

Next, the user will tap the free end of the first elongated tubular body so as to pack the smoking product inside the first elongated tubular body (Step 103), and will begin smoking. The free end 6 of the first elongated tubular body 2 may be twisted prior to smoking to further compact the smoking product inside. After partially smoking the extendable smoking tube, preferably until 3 mm-5mm of the smoking product remains, the user will move further forward the first elongated tubular body further extending it and forming a gap 11 between the burning part of the smoking tube and the second elongated tubular body 1. The user will then twist the two elongated tubular bodies at the gap (Step 104) thus separating the second elongated tubular body 1 from the burning part of the first elongated tubular body 2 and enabling the smoker to smoke the entire smoking product down to the last drop, eliminating any leftovers.

In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A smocking tube comprising: a first elongated tubular body having a hollow interior, a first length, a first density, a first end and a second end; a second elongated tubular body inserted into the first elongated tubular body such that the second elongated tubular body is coaxial and movable with respect to the first elongated tubular body between a closed position and an extended position, the second elongated tubular body having a second length and a second density, the second density of the second elongated tubular body being greater than the first density of the first elongated tubular body, the second elongated tubular body having a first end and a second end; and a stopper positioned at the first end of the second elongated tubular body, wherein, the first length of the first elongated tubular body and the second length of the second elongated tubular body are selected such that a protrusion is formed at the second end of the second elongated tubular body with respect to the second end of the first elongated tubular body when the second elongated tubular body is in the closed position.
 2. The smocking tube according to claim 1, wherein the stopper comprises a filter.
 3. The smocking tube according to claim 1, further comprising a filter located within the second elongated tubular body adjacent to the stopper.
 4. The smocking tube according to claim 1, further comprising a smoking product positioned within the hollow interior of the first elongated tubular body.
 5. The smocking tube according to claim 1, wherein the first length of the first elongated tubular body is greater than the second length of the second elongated tubular body.
 6. A method of using an extendable smocking tube having a first elongated tubular body and a second elongated tubular body inserted into and movable relative to the first elongated tubular body, the method comprising the steps of: moving the first elongated tubular body with respect to the second elongated tubular body so as to extend a free end of the first elongated tubular body to a desired length; packing a smoking product into a hollow interior of the first elongated tubular body so as to fill the desired length of the first elongated tubular body with the smoking product; tapping the free end of the first elongated tubular body so as to pack the smoking product inside the first elongated tubular body; and smoking the extendable smocking tube.
 7. The method of using the extendable smocking tube of claim 6, wherein said step. of smoking the extendable smocking tube comprises partially smoking the extendable smoking tube, then further extending the first elongated tubular body relative to the second elongated tubular body so as to form a gap between a burning part of the extendable smoking tube and the second elongated tubular body, and then twisting the two elongated tubular bodies relative to each other at the gap so as to separate the second elongated tubular body from the burning part of the first elongated tubular body and to enable a smoker to smoke the entire smoking product. 